Cancelled: Russian Philharmonic of Novosibirsk with Pavel Kolesnikov (piano)

Since Beethoven, all composers embarking on their ninth symphony have felt the weight of history on them. Pity Shostakovich, then, faced not only with this problematic milestone, but also with the expectations of the Soviet state, which demanded a patriotic flag-waver as Hitler’s forces faced imminent defeat by Stalin’s Red Army. What they actually got was a playful homage to the classical symphonies of Haydn and the nose-thumbing irreverence of vaudeville performers. It may have incensed the Russian authorities, who banned it for the remainder of Stalin’s life, but it’s nevertheless a brilliantly entertaining work, shot through with Shostakovich’s biting wit.

Novosibirsk’s homegrown musical hero, Pavel Kolesnikov, is the soloist in Grieg’s evergreen Piano Concerto, an astonishing achievement from the 25-year-old composer. It bears the imprint of Robert Schumann’s concerto for piano – deeply admired by Grieg – but it’s still a strikingly original piece, both dramatic and lyrical, its Romantic gestures tinged with Norwegian folk music. It makes a contrasting Nordic companion to Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony, with its starker lines and etched rhythms, but the Finnish composer matches Grieg for melodies, creating real sweep and grandeur, and building from hushed daybreak to a visionary, hymn-like finale.

Free pre-concert talk, 6.20pm in the auditorium: Dr Jonathan James on Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony